Dangerous Love (6 page)

“Sorry, who?” Regan blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Jay, who else?” She looked Regan up and down. “Were you in bed?”

She sounded faintly disgusted.

“I’m working the night shift,” Regan said and stifled a yawn, though why she should have to explain herself to her angry neighbour she didn’t know. Katie wasn’t the easiest person to get on with. She’d moved into Coastguard Cottages a couple of years before after splitting up with her husband and she seemed to have quite a chip on her shoulder. “Why would I know where your son is? Surely he’s at school.”

She wondered briefly if Jay’s dad had taken him. He visited almost every weekend and seemed like a nice guy, not the sort who’d take his son without the knowledge of his mother though, surely. Regan had met him a few times, just to say hello, and he was very pleasant.

“Well he would be at school,” Katie snapped. “If he wasn’t off somewhere with your daughter.”

“My daughter’s in hospital,” Regan said and waited for that to sink in, then as her mind began to clear and she realised the implications of all this, added. “I think we should call the police.”

“No need to get them involved,” Katie said, suddenly on the defensive. “It’s just a prank. I’ve only just noticed he’s missing. He wouldn’t get up for school this morning and I left him until half an hour ago, then what happens when I go in his room? He’s put stuff in his bed to make it look like he’s in it, so I’d been telling a pile of clothes to shift themselves, not Jay at all. I thought he was feeling ill or something.”

Her anger was rapidly vanishing, anxiety in its place.

“I’ll get dressed,” Regan said. “There’s my phone. Call the police and tell them your son is missing and to start searching the cliffs.”

“The cliffs? Why? He wouldn’t go up there. And what if the police find out I was letting him get a day of school when he didn’t need it? I could lose him you know! What if they decide he should live with his dad instead of me? I just couldn’t face the hassle today of getting him up, that’s not a crime is it?”

“Just do it, please, Katie.”

“Why?” she said. “What’s going on? What do you think’s happened to him? Why’s Georgie in hospital?”

She began to look really frightened now.

“Just make the call, Katie,” Regan said. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

Regan threw on the nearest thing to hand, her uniform. She didn’t even stop to brush her hair or put on tights. Things like that had no importance when a child’s life was at stake.

When she came back downstairs, Katie was still standing in the hall. She hadn’t made the call.

“I’ll get in trouble,” she said. “He’s done that before. Pretended he was ill and refused to get up until it was too late to take him to school. I’ve already been in it up to my neck for his absences and he’s only six. It’s not my fault. And if his dad gets wind of it, he’ll take him off me. You’ve seen how often he’s here visiting.”

She rubbed her hands nervously up and down her arms and shivered.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t do that,” Regan said gently.

“You don’t know him. He’s always coming to visit. I don’t really mind because Jay loves him to bits, but maybe that’s his plan. Maybe he’s going to take Jay away. He said he wanted us to get back together, but I said no.”

“What made you think Jay was here?” Regan asked.

“Because he’s always going on about Georgie and you know what they’re like. As thick as thieves those two.”

Regan automatically reached for her car keys, but there was no car outside. She’d left it in the hospital car park. She grabbed her phone and ushered Katie out of the door.

If only she could think straight.

“What the hell’s going on?” Katie demanded. The poor woman was terrified now.

“I don’t know,” Regan said. “I need to think. You don’t drive do you? I’ll call a taxi.”

She was getting her keys out, about to go back into her house when a big 4x4 turned the corner and pulled up outside. The back of it was full of empty cages and sitting behind the wheel, checking out the houses, was Bram.

Regan began to wonder if this was another nightmare. Maybe she was still asleep and none of this was real. Nightmares were an all too real part of her life and had been for six years. Now she seemed to be living right in the middle of one.

The car pulling up outside started Bonnie off again. Of all people it had to be him, but under the circumstances, she was mightily relieved that it was.

“What are you doing here?” Bram said as he got out of the car.

“No time to explain,” Regan replied. “Why are you here?”

“I just came to check on Bonnie and bring some antibiotics in case that paw gets infected,” Bram explained. “But from the barking it sounds as if no one’s home. She’s been left on her own already.”

He said that last with a heaviness in his voice.

“No, it’s… I’m… I’ve got to get back to the hospital. This is Katie. Could you give us a lift, Bram?”

He looked her up and down, no doubt taking in her crumpled uniform and messy hair and a frown creased his forehead.

“Sure,” he said and he raised an eyebrow, but Regan knew he wouldn’t ask questions. He could see plainly enough that something was very wrong. He cast a suspicious look at Katie who was still wearing slippers and told them to get in the car.

“Haven’t you been to bed yet?” he asked as he closed her door. “You look…”

“Yes, I’m well aware of how I look, thank you,” she snapped. “Bram, we have to contact emergency services? Katie’s little boy is missing. She thinks he was with Georgie.”

He was getting into the car as she spoke and she saw his shoulders stiffen.

“You think he was up at the cliffs too?”

“Almost certain,” Regan replied.

“Okay. Make the call, Regan.”

It was a short drive to the hospital, especially at this time of day when traffic was relatively light.

“Thanks, Bram,” Regan said when he pulled up in the patients’ car park. “I appreciate that.”

But he wasn’t going to be easily dismissed. He got out of the car, straightening the thick black sweater he wore.

“You don’t have to stay,” Regan said. “I have my car here.”

He gave Katie another curious look. He clearly had no intention of driving off anytime soon.

“I was thinking I might pop in and see Georgie while I’m here,” he said.

“No!” The word came out as a shout that caught Katie’s attention. “That’s not a good idea, Bram. It’s a terrible idea actually. She’ll be sleeping. You know how it is. She’ll need lots of rest.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “You’re right and probably the last thing she needs to see is my ugly mug.”

“You’re not ugly, Bram, and you know it,” Regan murmured, smiling reluctantly. “Far from it.”

“Okay,” he grinned and sent her heart spinning out of control. “See you around then, Regan. I hope. I’ll head up and join the search.”

She nodded and watched him drive off, then gripped Katie’s arm and led her into the hospital and up to the ward to see Georgie. Why did he have to add “I hope?” It implied that he wanted to see her again, but why would he? They were finished. He’d made that perfectly plain six years ago. All this would be so much easier if he was prickly and bad tempered.

But she had more pressing concerns now. She had to find out where Jay was.

Georgie was awake and sitting up in bed sticking stickers into a comic with Lally.

Lally smiled when she saw them coming, but her face paled when she saw Katie. She could see at once that something was very wrong. Georgie had gone pale too. She looked terrified.

“Hi, darling,” Regan said, kissing Georgie’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“All right,” Georgie whispered. She hadn’t taken her eyes off Katie.

“Georgie, was Jay with you last night, love?”

Lally let out a gasp.

Georgie’s eyes grew big and round and she shook her head.

“Come on, Georgie,” Katie said. “I know Jay was with you. Where is he?”

Georgie shrank back against the pillows and shook her head.

“Maybe you should wait outside, Katie,” Regan said. “I’ll get her to tell me what’s been going on.”

“Shall I go too?” Lally asked.

Regan nodded. “Please.”

Lally got up and put her arm round Katie who allowed herself to be led away, albeit reluctantly. “Come on, love,” she said. “Can I get you a coffee or something?”

As soon as they were on their own, Regan asked again.

“And this time,” she added. “I want the truth. Jay might be in danger.”

“You mustn’t tell her,” Georgie whispered. “Jay ran away from home last night. There’s a sort of cave in the cliff and he’s going to live there. He’s going to eat seaweed and catch fish and I…”

Her voice trembled and she bit her lip as tears splashed onto the sheets. Regan knew whatever came next was going to be bad.

“Why? Why was he running away, Georgie?”

“He said his dad would have to come and look for him and he’d only go home if his mum and dad got back together.”

Regan moaned softly. Oh the sweet innocence of children.

“I went to be his lookout and help him carry stuff,” Georgie went on, fighting hard to control her sobs. “We took Bonnie with us, but Jay said she might fall off the cliff so he tied her up with some rope. She was so scared, Mummy. It was noisy… the wind and the waves and the rain and I think there was thunder. And it was so dark.”

She pressed her knuckle against her mouth and shuddered.

“It’s all right, love,” Regan gathered Georgie in her arms and held her close.  She was trembling all over. Poor Bonnie. It would have been torture for her being tied up in the dark with all the noise of the storm. No wonder she was so scared. “Just tell me what happened.”

Georgie drew in her breath sharply.

“Bonnie was howling and I went to get her, but when I untied the rope she pulled away and ran. I couldn’t catch her.”

“Did Lally tell you Bonnie is okay?” she asked.

Georgie nodded. Well that was something. At least Georgie wasn’t worrying herself silly over the dog.

“She said Bram saved her.”

“Yes, that’s right. He did.”

“And she’s not hurt or anything?”

“She has a sore paw, but it’ll heal. What happened next, Georgie?”

“I went back to find Jay, but he’d gone. I was scared and my torch went out and I ran too and… and then…”

“Shh, it’s all right, baby, I know the rest,” Regan soothed. “You don’t have to tell me any more now. And don’t worry, Jay won’t get into trouble, I promise. But he can’t live in a cave, you know that don’t you?”

Georgie nodded and Regan just hoped the boy had made it to the cave and was still there.

CHAPTER SIX

It seemed as if the whole town had turned out to search for Jay. His mother was full of what she was going to do to him when she got hold of him and Regan didn’t believe a word of it. Katie was just desperate and almost out of her mind with fear and worry. Regan herself was filled with trepidation. If they found him and it was a very big if, then the chances of him being unhurt were slim.

Over twelve hours had passed since Georgie’s rescue and the tide was high again which hampered their efforts. The weather had calmed, the rain had stopped and the Molly Jane was patrolling a few hundred metres from shore, but as the tide began to recede there was still no sign of the little boy. Regan stood apart from everyone else on the beach.

She felt numb with exhaustion, but knew if she went to bed right now she wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing another child was out here somewhere, especially when that child was Jay.

“I’m going to head along the beach towards the cliff,” a voice said as a hand gripped her arm. “You coming?”

“Bram!”

“None other,” he said grimly. “I had no idea there was another kid out here last night. If I had…”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Regan said. “There was no way anyone could have known Jay was out here. Georgie was so determined not to betray her friend. She’s a very loyal little girl.”

“Well,” he said. “I’d certainly want her on my team. What were they playing at, do you know?”

“Jay thought if he ran away from home, he could blackmail his parents into getting back together,” Regan explained.

“Ah, kid logic,” he said. “And is there any chance of that happening?”

“I don’t know,” Regan sighed. “They’ve lived apart for a couple of years, but he’s been around a lot lately.”

“A kid needs both parents,” Bram said fiercely.

“In a perfect world,” Regan muttered. “Sometimes two parents aren’t any better than one. Sometimes they’re worse. There are no ideals.”

She knew that from experience.

He stood, bracing himself on the rocks, staring up and down the beach. There was still enough of a breeze to ruffle his hair. Then he looked down at her and her heart flipped.

“You’re hardly dressed for the beach,” he said and Regan was aware of her lightweight jacket, the one she wore to drive or to go shopping. The chill went right through it and she felt cold in her bones, but she didn’t want to leave the search just to find something different to wear.

Her uniform wasn’t meant for outdoors and her bare legs were frozen, Her shoes were already rubbing her heels. A little discomfort was nothing though. All that mattered was finding Jay.

Before she could say anything, Bram was sliding his leather jacket from his shoulders and holding it for her.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t.”

“Stop arguing and put it on,” he said. “At least wear it till you warm up a bit. You’re freezing and the last thing we need is people collapsing on us.”

“Don’t worry. If I’ll collapse I’ll try not to knock anyone else over,” she said and he laughed softly.

The jacket was warm from his body and smelled faintly of him. She nestled inside its soft lining and remembered when she’d felt the direct warmth of his body rather than his second hand but very welcome heat.

“You okay over the rocks?”

She nodded. “I’m pretty sure the cave Jay was planning to live in is just round here. I used to play in it when I was a kid. We all did. My parents would have had a fit if they’d known.”

“You?” Bram laughed. “Climbing cliffs?”

She bit her lip and gave him a sheepish smile. Maybe Georgie hadn’t got all her recklessness from her father’s side after all. Come to think of it, she had been quite a little daredevil herself when she was little. Nothing used to frighten her. It was only when she grew up and fell in love that she truly began to know the real meaning of fear. And now she was a parent, her fear knew no bounds.

She hadn’t been able to live with the fear of losing Bram, but when it came to her daughter she had no choice. There was no walking away. She’d learned a lot from being a mother. If only she’d had that knowledge before she let Bram go.

“I was young once you know,” she said lightly. “We used to make camps in there. But Bram, we always climbed up from the beach, not down from the cliff top.”

She shivered thinking of Jay trying to climb down the side of the cliff in last night’s storm. He must have been driven by such desperation.

Some of the others were approaching from the other end of the beach and more people were up on the top or further down near the dunes searching the beach huts.

Eventually they’d meet the people coming from the opposite direction and by then the tide would be out further and they would start searching along the water’s edge, following the tide out, hoping against hope there was nothing to find on the shore.

“Are you limping?” Regan asked.

“Me? No! Well, maybe a little,” he said. “Might’ve twisted my ankle a bit last night, but…”

“But nothing! What are you doing down here climbing about over rocks?” Regan sighed. “You don’t change do you, Bram? How can you expect anyone to care about you when you don’t give a damn about yourself?”

He gave her a look, the kind of look that turned her stomach to jelly.

“Who said no one cared about me?” he said and she was taken aback. She’d assumed that he, like her, was still on his own. What a stupid thing to think.

Bram was gorgeous, a wonderful man, so easy to love despite being the most annoying man she’d ever known. It was unthinkable that he wouldn’t have been snapped up. And snapped up by someone with more courage than she had.

She stopped between the rocks and looked up at him, then took a step and her foot sank into the mud almost up to her knee. She shrieked with surprise and Bram leapt forward and grabbed her. He was laughing as he tried to pull her free of the sucky mud and Regan felt her shoe go and knew she’d just lost one of the most comfortable shoes she’d ever owned.

At last her foot came free of the mud, streaked with black and grey and minus the shoe. She wrenched herself away from Bram, pulled the other shoe off and hurled it at the sea with a yell of fury.

“Good work,” Bram said, still laughing, blue eyes twinkling. “That’ll show it.”

She was even shorter now and glared up at him furiously.

“Come on,” she said. “We have a lost child to find. There is nothing to laugh about.”

Her words sobered him and he followed her across the rocks. She knew where she was headed and he had to follow.

What she wanted was to put as much distance between them as possible. His arms around her, even if he was pulling her out of a hole, had been ever so slightly unbearable. Not in an unpleasant way either, which made it more unbearable still. Maybe if it was unpleasant all of this would be easier to handle, but the strength of her feelings for him even after all this time, had caught her completely off guard.

Bram watched her slip and slide over the rocks and step over stones and mud in her bare feet and he could hardly believe this was the Regan he knew and used to love. Used to, he reminded himself. Used to. Couldn’t say it enough times, but he was yet to convince himself that there was any “used to” about it. She was as sure footed as a wading bird and knew exactly where to step and where to avoid. He followed closely in her footsteps.

All that time they’d been a couple, living together, loving each other and he’d never seen this side of her, never seen the beach urchin she truly was. Regan had always been a little bit prim up there on her high horse. It felt strange to see her with her feet firmly planted on the ground.

In some places she stretched her arms out to her sides for balance, but the sleeves of his jacket were so long on her that her hands disappeared. In other places she hopped from rock to rock like a mountain goat. Fascinating to watch, but Bram kept one eye on the ground around them, looking for evidence he hoped not to see.

“My God!” She stopped dead ahead of him, staring at something caught between the rocks.

“What is it?” He hurried to her side as she bent down and picked up a small red shoe.

“It’s Georgie’s,” she whispered, hugging it against her chest. The little shoe was sodden wet and full of sand. Green weed had stuck to the Velcro strap. The tide must have picked it up and spat it out again.

“I don’t expect she’ll want it back,” he said.

But it was strange, the sight of that little shoe had been like a kick in the stomach for him too. It was a stark symbol of what could have been, how differently this could have ended for that little girl. Strange to feel so emotional about a kid they’d both seen for the first time last night, but what a kid! “Throw it away, Regan. It’s no use now it’s been in the sea. Her parents won’t want it back.”

But she was hugging it against her as if her life depended on it and big fat tears were rolling down her face. He’d seen her get emotional before. Usually when she was dead on her feet and often when he’d got hurt.

Yet at Tom’s funeral she’d been icily calm. Pale faced. Cool. No tears. He blinked the memory away because every time he thought about Tom, he remembered how he’d hung on to him in the water, telling him they were going to be okay.

They’d got to be. Tom had two small children. But he hadn’t been okay. Even as Bram struggled to keep him afloat, it was already too late. The only thing Bram had been able to do was to spare Tom’s widow of the agony of waiting for a body to wash up on the beach.

There was nothing icy or cool about Regan now. She was coming apart at the seams!

Her nose had gone red and when she looked up at him, eyes huge and moist with tears, he felt a kick in his gut. She cuffed the end of her nose with the heel of her hand. He reached out for her, but she took a step backwards and he could see she was making a huge effort to compose herself.

“It’s up there,” she said, pointing up the cliff. “The cave.”

She pressed the shoe into his hands.

“I’ll go up and see if there’s any sign of him,” she went on.

“No, you…”

“Oh, pipe down, Bram! You don’t have to do every damn thing yourself you know and I’ve done this a lot of times. With your twisted ankle and your sore back – and don’t tell me it isn’t sore! I saw you wincing when you were going over the rocks. There’s no way you’re climbing up there.”

There was no point arguing the toss with her. He knew from experience that once Regan Tyler had made up her mind about something, there was no stopping her. And she was right. His back was sore. Worse than sore and his ankle was giving him hell. There was no way he wanted to climb up that cliff. But he didn’t want her doing it either.

He hadn’t come back here, found her again only to promptly lose her. He still had quite a lot of work to do as far as Regan Tyler was concerned, but he hadn’t given up hope just yet. She hurried over to the foot of the cliff and looked up, no doubt planning her route.

He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned round.

“Actually I was going to say I’d call one of the other guys to go up, Regan,” he said quietly and he could practically see the wind falling out of her sails. “I might be reckless, but I’m not stupid and I don’t think you are either.”

“I know what I’m doing,” she said and before he could stop her, she was crawling up the rock like a spider. After all she’d said to him about putting his life in danger, there she was doing exactly the same thing.

Okay, it wasn’t a high climb, but it was a slippery one and if she fell she probably wouldn’t kill herself, but if she hit her head…

“Regan, wait!”

She was finding purchase on the slippery, weed covered rocks and grasped a handful of weed to pull herself up and it broke free. He couldn’t be sure, but he could have sworn he heard her fingernails snap. He held up his arms ready to catch her, but she halted her slide and carried on up, more determined than ever.